Funding Proposals Can Jeopardize Future IP Rights

Law360 (February 9, 2006, 12:00 AM EST) -- Applying for federal grants to fund research and development for new patents may imperil an inventor’s future intellectual rights, a federal court has confirmed.

This week, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts struck down patent infringement claims by a company that had received government assistance, but had failed to file an application for the proposed patent within a year of receiving the grant. The case is a reminder of an obscure and little-known facet of patent law, says the attorney who represented the...